An Empirical Study on Non-verbal and Paralanguage Behaviors in the Speech Acts of the Thai

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K02633
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Linguistics
• Research Institution: Yamanashi Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: HAGIWARA TAKAE 山梨県立大学, 国際政策学部, 准教授 (90749053)
• Research Collaborator: IKETANI KIYOMI
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 非言語行動 / パラ言語行動 / タイ人 / 笑い / 舌打ち / 生起環境 / フィラー / 認知行動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

“Laughter and tongue clicks” are non-verbal behaviors that have been observed to occur “frequently and repeatedly” in Thai Japanese learners’ utterances. An analysis of OPI data collected from 100 Japanese major students in Thai reveals that the frequency of their using laughter and tongue clicks in utterances is significantly high. In exploring meanings and functions of these two non-verbal behaviors, this research examines both the occurrence environment and the usage of laughter and tongue clicks as they emerge in Thai Japanese learners’ utterances. Leaving aside differences in paralanguage information of laughter and tongue clicks, results show that: (1) the two non-verbal behaviors, diverted from the Thai language usage, have unique communicative functions that do not exist in Japanese language culture and (2) the occurrence of the two non-verbal behaviors is a manifestation of the speaker’s cognitive behavior.

Free Research Field

語用論

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

タイは「微笑みの国」と呼ばれ、タイ人の「微笑み」に対しては一般的に良い印象が抱かれるように思われる。一方、タイ人との接触場面で、タイ人の「微笑み」に対し不可解で不適切だと感じたり、日本人にとって不快で印象の悪い「舌打ち」が聞こえたりと、良くない印象を抱く場合もあるだろう。本研究は、グローバル化が進む昨今において、誤解や摩擦になりかねない、しかも日本語に存在しない非言語行動（本研究ではタイ人の「笑い」と「舌打ち」）に注目し、そのコミュニケーション行動の意味を明らかにすることによって、異文化に対する認識や理解につながる知見を提供するものである。